Livin' It Up

Quirkiest, Strangest and Most Creative Bags!

2011-05-27T00:40:00.000-07:00

Here's something funny and interesting to brighten up your Friday afternoon! A post from Just-BAG-It! on quirky bag trends. For more of these, head on to Www.facebook.com/justbagit.com.my . Have a good laugh! ;P

We’ve seen the stylish, the trendy and the extravagant, glamorous play-stuff for the bold, the rich and the beautiful. But being bag fanatics, of course fashion doesn’t end just there. While there’s great fashion, there’s bound to be ones that are weird, mind-blowing in a certain sense, or perhaps just downright quirky and out-of-this world.

Here’s a collection of the strangest, quirkiest, and perhaps most creative bags ever made, right from the opposite side of Hollywood (or not!). We just about fell off our chairs in mirth as we compiled this album. It sure brings a new meaning to fashion being FUN!

This is Just-BAG-It, handing to you a bagful of laughter – on the house! Do feel free to share this album or pass it on to whomever you think needs a fix of sunshine. Like we always say, Just-BAG-It!, no permissions needed here! You’ll never know whose days you’ll be brightening! :) Cheerios!!

Designer bags - preloved and brand new at a fraction of the retail price!

2011-05-11T01:24:00.000-07:00

Hello all fashion savvy and trendy people,

Something new has landed on our shores! Are you one of those who would pore over fashion magazines and salivate over gorgeous designer bags that are just a little off your budget? Or do you go on a window-shopping rampage at our local malls, making mental notes to yourself that you would purchase that favorite bag that you've been eyeing since forever ONE DAY, SOME DAY when you've saved enough?

Look no further, JUST-BAG-IT has arrived, offering you wonderful deals for the exact same bags you see on our retail outlets and more ~ best of all, at a price much lower! JUST-BAG-IT , living every inch up to its name, pledges to bring you value-for-money buys, always. In fact, one of our favorite taglines is: Now everyone can FLAUNT! WHo says you have to have truckloads of money to support a fashion fetish? Keeping up with the Jones's have never been easier on the pockets!

Whether you admit it or not, there's a trendy Carrie Bradshaw in everyone of us. It is in our genes, we are pre-programmed fashionistas with the inherent characteristic to strive for beauty ever since time immemorial. We support your instincts to accessorize! Visit us at www.facebook.com/justbagit.com.my and click LIKE to receive more updates on fashion bits and wonderful deals on gorgeous designer bags. You wouldn't want to miss it, so come on over now!

See you there and make it a BAG-IT day today! :)

Dragon-i Fantastic RM 1 Promotion!

2009-04-01T00:27:00.000-07:00

Hmh...haven't you heard? Don't let the chicken fly the coop! Hahaha...again, passing it along to those who still do not know.

For more info, click here.

Dragon-i Chain of Restaurants:

Mid Valley Megamall
Cititel Mid Valley Main Lobby

1 Utama Shopping Mall
Lot S313A, New Wing

Centrepoint Bandar Utama
G115, Ground Floor

The Curve
Lot 136 & 137

Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall
G1.43, Ground Floor

Cheras Leisure Mall
G22 & 22A, Ground Floor

Queensbay Mall Penang
Lot 77, 78, 79 & 81, 2nd Floor

Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
Lot 1.13, Level 1

AEON Bukit Tinggi
Lot G53, Ground Floor

Sushi Promotion at Sushi King Outlets 13-16 April 2009

2009-04-01T00:19:00.000-07:00

Just passing this along for those who have not heard/ seen. Live to eat! :D

For more information, you can visit their website by clicking here.

Old Town Kitchen - Authentic Chinese Kopitiam in Butterworth

2009-03-30T01:31:00.001-07:00

This old-style coffee shop is located at Jalan Kampung Benggali, Butterworth near the Ferry Station. It is situated at the row behind Mobil station and UOB bank. I was told that it is one of the best authentic Chinese kopitiam around the area, serving dishes like home-made fishball, Penang Hokkien Mee and some other dishes. And they do catering for events as well.

I've had encounters with many 'best' restaurants/ dishes during my trip thus far, so here's another for you to try if ever you're around the vicinity.

The front of the restaurant along a row of very old shop lots in Butterworth.

Humble setting - it was airy and clean, which is good. No flies here, so thumbs up for that.

Customers hehe (actually that's our company director who brought us here, saying it comes highly recommended by Penangites)

The cashier.

The prices here are noticeably cheaper than back in KL/ PJ.

There...the famous Penang Hokkien Mee...it was good!

Some other dishes we ordered...this shop is famous for its home-made, no-preservative/ additives fishballs.

Wiped out clean...we were famished! :P

To be honest, I didn't get the impression that the food served here was so out of the ordinary. It was nice, no doubt...but maybe I'm just not a 'noodles' person.

Restaurant Old Town Kitchen

No. 4004, Jalan Kampung Benggali,

12200 Butterworth.

Tel: 04-3331534

Famous Hawker Center In Penang

2009-03-30T01:20:00.000-07:00

During my trip to Penang, a friend who was a Penangite was adamant to bring us to this hawker center that she claimed was much better and more reasonably priced than Gurney Drive when I mentioned how much I missed the Gurney Assam Laksa.

Gurney Drive was getting very commercialized and the quality was dropping she told me in a no-nonsense tone. Who else was I to believe but a person who actually lived here? I agreed and so we took the drive towards Macalister Road.

The hawker center was located right in front of Sunway Hotel along Lorong Baru. Ahh, what a familiar sight. Malaysia's after all filled with glutton corners such as these, with bright neon lights and rows and rows of mobile stalls from which smoke and steam was rising. Not to mention the number of tables and chairs carelessly laid by the roadside, inviting anyone who'd care for a bite to have a seat.

A typical sight at a hawker's center in Penang.

Rows and rows of makeshift stalls along the road side.

This one's located along Lorong Baru...reputed to be one of the better centers in Penang.

Bright lights, with hawkers shouting out the names of their dishes in a sing-song way, attracting people to come to their stalls.

Beef ball soup anybody?

Tables filled with customers from all walks of life.

This sight reminds me of Mom & Dad and my younger days...*sigh* How time flies!

Then, of course was the food! In abundance too! Hawker centers are meant to be enjoyed with many friends so you can try a variety of dishes. Here's our 2 Penang Laksas and Char Kuay Kark...(I'm not sure how to translate that into English...it's something like fried kuey tiaw but not quite... never mind that, you just have to know that it was delicious! :P)

Satay - one of the best I've ever tried...better than Kajang satay, sorry Kajang pips! And my favorite dessert, Lengchikang. Have to try this in Penang, it is different anywhere else, I swear!

The Assam Laksa again with erm...black prawn sauce (in the spoon)...

Our curry noodle with pig's blood...errrr...I skipped the chunks of pig's blood but Penangites seem to think they're heaven-sent for some reason or another!

Yeah...the nationally famous Char Kuey Tiaw.

Digging in...three girls with all these food...amazing we didn't flip over with a tear in the belly.

All done! *Applause* :P

Verdict: If you don't mind the noise, hustle and bustle, smell (smoke, exhaust,err...the occasional whiff from the nearby drain), location and open-air concept and you love what my Dad calls the 'junk food' of Penang, by all means, this place is a food paradise for you because there are many varieties that you could choose from. It's a thumbs-up for me.

Aoyama Japanese Restaurant, Hartamas Square

2009-03-22T07:44:00.000-07:00

Aoyama Japanese Restaurant is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants. It is located in Desa Sri Hartamas. Although it is a little pricier compared to other Japanese restaurants nearby, the quality is pretty good, at least by my standard. In size, the restaurant is not that big, but it is very clean, homey and the staff are helpful enough, especially those serving sushis behind the bar - they are always willing to listen to your suggestions as to how you want your sushis or makis to be like. Sometimes they even tailor make your preference for you, so two thumbs up here!

The entrance to the restaurant

The cashier

Japanese-style cubicles

The sushi bar

The Sushi Bar Tenders

Japanese style lanterns

Aoyama is famous for its Makis, but I absolutely love the chawan mushi and miso soup served here - they're very generous in putting in the goodies into these dishes (lots of mushrooms and seaweed, yumyum). I usually order the soft shell crab maki and beef maki during my visits, but recently, I tried something new which was not on the menu (it was recommended by the nice waitress who tended to us) - maki with salmon sauce. It was very good, I'll sure be ordering that again the next time I visit.

The Lunch Set Menu

Miso Soup...my favorite!

Served piping hot!

Cheers! ^.^

Goodies...yummylicious!

Chawan Mushi

Spider maki and maki with salmon sauce...very nice!

Beef maki - very tender and juicy

There is also another plus point - perhaps to some more adventurous people out there who do not mind trying out very erm...very adventurous dishes - like the blowfish or pufferfish, otherwise known as fugu in Japanese. Apparently, they are only available during the winter season in Japan. Also, Aoyama is one of the 7 licensed fugu handlers in Malaysia, so whaddaya know! Best to place your bookings first if you're looking forward to your fugu experience to avoid disappointment - it is quite the rarity.

A pitiful fugu on the display window *Awwww* :(

Errr...scary...I'm not sure if I'd actually be able to gather the courage to eat one during this lifetime...

Aoyama The Green Room

No. 10, Jalan 27/70A,Desa Sri Hartamas,50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel : 03 - 2300 0683

Aoyama's Media Highlight

Mizi Shabu-Shabu, Bandar Puteri Puchong - best individual steamboat, or so I think!

2009-03-18T03:28:00.001-07:00

Mizi Shabu Shabu has got to be one of my favorite restaurants in Bandar Puteri Puchong. First of all, I absolutely love steamboats, and this restaurant offers individual sets at reasonable prices (from RM 16.90 onwards for an individual set). Plus the setting is wonderful - clean, cozy and airy. It is located at Jalan Puteri 2/5, which is opposite the Giant Hypermarket. You can't possibly miss it...it's the one with the neon-light steamboat logo high up on the building. If you still can't locate it, you'd just have to sniff your way there! Bandar Puteri isn't that big to begin with.

Also, everyone has their own individual boat, so it is very much up to you what kind of soup base you want. You know what they say about not being able to please everybody during a steamboat session? That rule doesn't apply here - you can choose from a range of soup bases - from Tom Yum, to ABC (potato-carrot soup), ginseng, etc. Be prepared though, the Tom Yum soup base is very, very spicy - not for the faint-hearted as even the Cili Padi King thought it almost insufferable! The ginseng soup base is good as well. Thumbs up for both. Or you could opt for the standard chicken soup, which is complimentary. For the rest, a small sum is charged.

The exterior of Mizi Shabu Shabu

The opening hours of the restaurant

The ground floor of the restaurant...see, there's even a waiting area - that shows how good the business is here! On weekends it is quite difficult to get a place especially around dinner time.

Part of the menu

Entrance to the second floor

Stairway

Nice deco...Mizi shabu shabu originated from Japan...thus the Japanese influence. The concept differs from the original Japanese shabu-shabu though...more Malaysian-ized to suit our tastes.

The second floor...very big and airy with windows that overlook the street outside.

Look at the amount of people in here...it's dinnertime on a Sunday...

This is where you set your hot pots...clean and not at all fussy...

The family combo...most sets are presented this way, whether the couple sets or the individual sets. The difference is just the amount of food on the plate, and of course, the price.

Ginseng pack to add into the soup base

This is their special shabu-shabu sauce

This is how it's done...

Extra side orders - thinly sliced pork, very tasty with the special sauce for meats.

More side orders - fish slices, very fresh and good!

Fishballs, one of the nicest I've tasted

Rice with black sesame seeds

Steaming hot pot...best experienced on a rainy day! :)

That's the queue when we left...awesome isn't it?

My verdict: A must try if you're around the vicinity!

Restaurant Mizi Shabu Shabu

No. 17 Jalan Puteri 2/5,

Bandar Puteri,

47100 Puchong

Tel: 03-80603221

Bibiwok Thai BBQ Steamboat - Bandar Puteri, Puchong

2009-03-15T00:22:00.000-07:00

Bibiwok Thai BBQ Steamboat, which is located above the Bibiwok Nonya & Thai Cuisine restaurant was quite the experience for us. The setting looked inviting and interesting enough - something special for family or friend gatherings as I've always liked the thought that one could socialize and catch up on a lot of stuff with each other while the food was cooking.

Here, we were charged RM 28 for adults and RM 13 for children. Not too bad since the concept was all-you-can-eat...or so we thought. In the end, it turned out to be all-that-you-can-wait-to-eat. After the initial basket of food, it took forever to place additional orders. The dishes just never came and we had to remind the waiters/ waitresses over and over again to bring this or that. I felt it was quite a test to our tolerance level, although to be fair, the tom yum soup base tasted like heaven - not the deep orange kind we're accustomed to find in most shops all over Malaysia, but the authentic Thai style tomyum (more greenish and clear) that I remember eating at one of the best restaurants in Bangkok.

Unfortunately, the lovely ambience and tomyum soup could not make up for the ventilation in the restaurant, which was horrible to say the least. Dad had to get up and open the windows (thankfully we were seated next to the windows) to get a breath of fresh air. Most of the time, it was almost hard to breathe. And we all smelled like the food we cooked and ate during our session there - our clothes and hair reeked of it! Which was a shame, I felt. The concept would have worked prettily if the service and ventilation was better...much, much better (like most of the Korean BBQ restaurants I've been to).

Bottom line, I doubt I'll be coming back here unless the ventilation and service improves tremendously, but try if you will. Like I always say, if you don't try, you'll never know! :P

Us at the restaurant

Thai influence

The initial basket of food

The teppanyaki style hot pan and steamboat pot

Lighting up

Nice setting for gatherings

We polished up all the food though, the piranhas that we were

The aftermath...oh, dessert was complimentary - you get to choose cendol or icecream or both and eat as much as your tummy permits too...

Address:
Bibiwok – Thai BBQ Steamboat
No. 16, Jalan Persiaran Puteri 1,
Bandar Puteri Puchong
Tel: 8060 7659

Bibiwok Thai Restaurant - Bandar Puteri, Puchong

2009-03-13T22:10:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Dad's 56th birthday at this restaurant called Bibiwok Restaurant at Bandar Puteri, Puchong which serves a fusion of Nonya and Thai cuisine. It is located opposite Giant Hypermarket in Bandar Puteri. What I can say about the restaurant is that the ambience is just wonderful for dining - squeaky clean with soft traditional Thai music playing at the background, plus the interior decor of the place is very Thai-oriented and welcoming indeed. Not bad for a start.

It serves Thai & Nonya food (duh), and for all the times I've been to this restaurant, the food was passable and we especially loved the ala-Thai steamed fish, fried chicken (an-chee-kaybin), pandan chicken and steamed sotong. The Tom Yum prawns was just so-so though, not as good as I had expected, though Mom loved it.

The service was quite impeccable, the staff very friendly

Siamese ambience

Ahh...the Thai-styled steamed sotong (squid) - a little sourish but very unique in taste

Nice presentation too...

Mom and the birthday boy

Happy Birthday, Dad!

See, we're all looking happy enough in this setting...

One of the waiters was kind enough to help us take this shot...another one for the memory!

Thai-styled steam fish...another unique Thai experience - the fish was steamed with pineapples, I think.

The other dishes we had on that day - the green curry chicken was lovely, so was the beef rendang (though it was more Malay than Thai). The kerabu vegetables and pandan chicken did not sit quite well with me though.

Oh, there's an all-you-can-eat Thai steamboat place above the ala-carte restaurant. To know more about what is offered a floor above, click here. I'd rate Bibiwok about 6 out of 10, more for the ambience than for the food really (value-for-money wise).

Address:

Bibiwok – Nyonya Thai Cuisine

No. 16, Jalan Persiaran Puteri 1,

Bandar Puteri Puchong

Tel: 8060 7659

Penang's hidden seafood heaven - Cheang Kee Restaurant, Nibong Tebal

2009-03-13T05:14:00.000-07:00

"Bring me to any place that is special to try out something different," I said, when asked what I had in mind for lunch, and in response to that, my guide up North in Penang told me in a serious voice, "I know just the place!" So, to Cheang Kee Restaurant he brought me. This restaurant is located in Nibong Tebal and is quite easily accessible via the North-South Expressway. Just follow the direction of Nibong Tebal and you can't miss it.

N.T Cheang Kee Restaurant in Nibong Tebal

I've heard him rant on and on during our journey to the restaurant about how great the steamed squid was, as well as the crab porridge and seafood. Granted, steamed squid and crab porridge were quite different from the rest of the foods in my menu (in Malaysia at least), so I waited in anticipation as he made the order. Though not a big fan of squids, I decided I was going to be more adventurous and try out whatever they put on the plate.

Special sauce for the steamed 'squid' - crushed peanuts on a sauce that was neither chilli nor tomato.

And then...it arrived...I realized he had not meant 'squids' at all...these were baby octopusses...quite like something out of Fear Factor for me, in fact! *looking at those tentacles with a shriek!*

Hmmh...very cute...now I'm thinking whether octopusses tasted good eaten just steamed this way...(no fishy smell???)

But I took my chances...

They're actually quite good...

Especially when eaten with the sauce

Look at that, a squiggly tentacle in my mouth! *chomp*chomp*

Vege - lots of lard inside and very typically Chinese

Crab porridge - a must try!

It could get quite messy though...

Very yummy pomfret

My verdict: a must try especially if you love a variety of seafood. Subject to preference though - one man's food may be another's poison after all. Tentacles or no tentacles, I observed that almost every other table there had ordered that dish so, there you go. :P

Best Seafood Village in the whole of Penang - Prawn Village Restaurant

2009-03-10T04:31:00.000-07:00

This restaurant ranks very high up in my favorite-seafood-restaurant-in-Penang list. To be honest, it ranks quite high up in my favorite-seafood-restaurant-of-all-times list as well, so much that I just have to pay a visit each time I'm up North no matter what. Bukit Tambun is quite synonymous to great seafood by the sea (or estuary) as a matter of fact. And in Bukit Tambun, my restaurant of choice would be the Prawn Village, which I feel is slightly more superior than the rest. Here's why:

Hmmhhh...very rustic setting...back to my kampong roots *hehe*

Interestingly, you've got to walk down a flight of stairs to reach the split-level restaurant...not much of an entrance huh?

Nice signboard...oh, and I lurrrvveee the word 'Prawn', as long as it is not attached to the word 'brained'...

Yeah, very welcoming...

Oooh, the array of fresh swimming seafood...catch one for dinner right away!

It is big and airy enough for me...

One hundred additional points for fresh crayfish!!! Can't seem to find any restaurants in KL that serve such fresh crayfishes ever...

A pitiful looking garoupa in a shallow tub...

Clams and medium-sized crayfishes

More crayfishes...I was so fascinated by them! Look like genetically mutated centipede-prawns, no?

Crabs...not Sri Lankan though

Lala/shellfish

Oh, they sell home-made soy sauce as well...not sure what's so special about them though...

You can even get biscuits here...the famed Tambun biscuits...but these here are not the most highly recommended brand of Tambun biscuits. I will share more on where you can get the best in Penang a little later on. ;p

This place is surprisingly big...do not be deceived by its humble entrance!

And it gets better....what a wonderful view! A typical Malay-fishing village scenery.

A very idyllic estuary view as you feast on good food

Weirdly enough, there were not only locals but many tourists and kuai lous as well...wonder how they got to find out about this place.

Kampong houses on stilts...truly a Malaysian experience!

A must-try - ambula + sour plum drink (not only is it refreshing, it is also anti cancerous, anti ageing, anti oxidant, and is a rich source of Vitamin C)

Can't get enough of the view!

Kailan vege

Signature seafood taufu dish

Signature noodle dish

Lala in sauce...not bad at all.

The highlight of the meal....crrrraaaaayyyyyfish!

Not that easy to eat - so just use your hands!

That's the way you do it...peel off the top part and then the meat...

Nice and clean...finger licking good!

The toilet...hmh...some stories to tell here haha

The latrine...your goodies plop right into the estuary from this hole, making the fishes down there very happy indeed!

Some weird shell fish and other fishes

And the very happy lady boss (considering what good business she had) bade us goodbye at the end of our feast! :)

Ipoh kai see hor fun...the best in Malaysia? You decide!

2009-03-10T03:38:00.001-07:00

On the way to Penang from KL for my biz trip, we managed to stop at what is reputed to be "The best Ipoh Kai See Hor Fun shop in Malaysia" (Ipoh Shredded Chicken Noodles). The shop is an old aunthentic kopitiam by the name of Thean Chun and it is located in Old Ipoh town. An Ipoh lad, my company director brought me there, so my source was very trustworthy, no doubt about that. I was excited to try out the said noodles and decide for myself why there were all this hype surrounding it...I mean, noodles are just noodles. What could be so special about a bowl of noodles that people travel from all corners of the country to have a taste of it? To be sure, there are stalls in KL selling this dish too...no?

Thean Chun Noodle shop in Old Ipoh Town

Look closely at the articles pasted on the makeshift shop...the best in Malaysia really, no kidding about that!

Yong taufu shop...pretty good as well, with a different kind of soup base.

The variety of yong taufu offered

This uncle is the expert in his field - been at it for forty years at least, or so I was told!

Look at the old counter...it's as though time forgot to pass by here!

I was proven wrong of course about my theory of noodles being noodles. There are passable, edible noodles, and then there are noodles which just absolutely jumps off the bowl! The Ipoh version of the hor fun is very different from any of those I've tasted back in KL or Selangor. Like sky and earth, really. The soup tasted different to begin with (with a slight seafood tang to it), and the hor fun was smoother. Yeah, I was tempted to lick the bowl dry.

Look at it! Slurrrrppss!

And best of all, they have my all-time favorite dessert as well - caramel custard! Have not tasted the Ipoh one for almost 20 years at least, so this was quite a poignant moment for me, being reminded of my childhood... *sniff*

Fried yong taufu...me being the banana, I can't for the life of me repeat the Chinese name of this dish! @.@

Yong tau fu

Yong tau fu with a different kind of soup base

Very, very tasty fish ball with stuffing...

Beansprouts...another famous dish in Ipoh...Ok, to be honest, I couldn't tell apart this from the ones in KL...granted, they were plumper and juicier...but what do I know anyway? It's not exactly my favorite dish but the boss swears by it!

Another specialty dish - cuttlefish with some sort of vege and satay sauce...not bad...

Hence, yeah, as far as Ipoh kai see hor fun goes, this is probably the best in Malaysia, or at least the best I've ever tasted.

Nightmare drive to Penang with headless chickens on the road just because it rained...

2009-03-09T06:08:00.000-07:00

What a super duper tiring day today! I practically crawled to my hotel room a moment ago after checking into Vistana Hotel in Bukit Jambul, Penang. Finally – a bed. That vision had been in my head for almost three quarters of the day, even in the midst of driving and my presentations to clients…yes, I was that tired. I was mentally shocked into waking up ever so completely during my drive earlier today though – four distinctive times for the four accidents along the way – four accidents in that 5-hour-plus trip including a stopover at Ipoh for the famous Ipoh kai see hor fun (or translated simply, Ipoh chicken shreds noodles).

Quite a tally, I tell you. And the accidents weren’t minor. Two on the opposite side and two on my side of the road. Goddamn it…like it made a difference…Malaysians being Malaysians, the jam was horrendous on both sides of the highway for the four incidents. Yeah, why not slow down and ogle at that jeep which pitifully ended up in the ditch not-so-sunny side up? Why not find out what happened to that family standing at the side of the road with their 4-wheel drive banged up? And oh…don’t forget that hot-chick-with-endless-legs in distress! OOoooo, short skirts to boot! Or Godzilla taking a shit by the roadside… Why not stop altogether and take some pictures just for the sake of it? Never mind the kilometers of queue backlogged behind you and how many drivers are literally dying of exhaustion. Accelerate. Brake. Accelerate. Brake. Yeah, up yours too.

This is one of those times when I absolutely abhor being Malaysian. For Pete’s sake move the heck on, other people’s got some business to settle. I don’t understand it…just as I don’t get it why people forget how to drive once it starts to pour. It’s like one of those cheesy ads whereby sexy braless female models are made to wear tight white tees and then run in the pouring rain…the tagline being: add some water, and all hell breaks loose!

Pffffttthhhh…I’m quite thankful that today is almost over. If I’m ever so lucky, the hotel spa center will still be open at this hour for me to erase that nagging nightmare from my head at least until I have to make that dreaded drive back to KL.

I got this to say: MALAYSIA BOLEH!!!

Even life is a passing phase...so fragile... sigh

2009-03-08T06:24:00.000-07:00

Very recently, I was just told by an old friend that one of our acquaintances had passed on some time ago due to a road accident. I have not met him in 7 years or more but the initial shock was quite overwhelming. It bowled me over and I was stumped for a very long time. He was 27. With a whole life ahead of him. No doubt with dreams of his own. And a whole lot of potential to offer the world and everyone around him. But just like that, everything was cut short. So drastic, just a full stop to end it all. Period.

Right after that, came the news that someone I knew and was quite close to had been hospitalized – warded in ICU for some health complication I’m not even very sure how to explain.

And so I got to thinking about life and death, how fragile life really is – like a beautiful rainbow-colored bubble which bursts upon a single touch. And I realized how in my fast-paced life, I failed to stop for a while to appreciate the people I love around me, that instead of really listening when being spoken to, I was always in a rush to check that to-do list in my head and get on with the next task. Sometimes, I even forget to say “I love you” or “I appreciate the things you do for me” or “I’m grateful for your presence in my life” – things that I know I should say in case one day I find myself not being able to anymore.

This is a dismal entry no doubt. Death is so final. It is so upsetting that the world goes on despite, not missing a single beat. Everything remains the same. But that someone who had been there before is now missing, no longer around. And you could no longer find him, call him or see him even if you wanted to. Worse, there’s nothing at all you could do about it.

Except pray. And live life to the fullest in the face of adversity just so that when Death finally comes, your life had been worth it somehow. It's the only way you could rebel against death and all the negativity in the world. Which is why I will end this post by saying what I should have a long time ago to my dear friends, family and close ones:

I love you.

I appreciate the things you do for me.

And I’m grateful for your presence in my life.

Gin Men Teppanyaki Restaurant, Port Dickson

2009-03-06T23:16:00.000-08:00

Every now and then, some of my friends would call and ask me which restaurants in Port Dickson I would highly recommend to them, considering I’m still half a PD-gal with a big appetite and penchant for food. Nearly every time, this particular eating place pops into my mind. I’m not sure if one can call it a restaurant…looks can be pretty deceiving I must say. I remember my first visit to this restaurant some 17 years ago…a shack with a tin roof, that’s what it was back then and even now in fact. There have not been many modifications, save for some nice little improvements like a toilet and more tables since my first time, which is nice in a way because there’s a sense of familiarity to it. I did not even find out its name until my last few visits to Port Dickson (this was not very helpful when trying to direct friends there during their visit to this town) – Gin Men Teppanyaki Restaurant. Yes, the poor place finally has a name in my block of memory.

Gin Men Teppanyaki Restaurant, though I don't know how helpful the name is since the restaurant does not have a signboard to begin with!!

It can get pretty hot and humid under the tin roof, but *huffhuff* anything for good food!

The surrounding area - yes, very rustic

The old swing which I had swung on as an innocent...

Outdoor tables for the tropical garden feel at night...

Anyway, back to the food. Do not be fooled by its appearance, that’s my best advice. Shack or not, the dishes served here are superbly delicious and I maintain this judgment despite the 17 years that had sped by in a jiffy – old Uncle Tan, the owner and founder of the restaurant preserved his wonderful recipe well enough, though now the business have been handed down to his two daughters.

The signature dish of the restaurant - my mouth waters looking at this!!!

The famous dishes served here are such as the 3-flavor fish (fish with three different sauces, grilled to perfection), fried tofu, shellfish (lala) and crabs. The 3-flavor fish is very special indeed – the three sauces offer a very distinctive and unique taste to the fish. I cannot for the life of me figure out what ingredients he used to deliver such an aroma and flavor though I did try to poke around while he was cooking before and dissected the dish like a very enthusiastic lab assistant. I only managed to catch a glimpse of a small piece of tong kui (a Chinese herb, if I’m not mistaken it is called Angelica in English) in one of the sauces. Not much help there, so…no, I'm still not qualified to open my own teppanyaki branch... :(

Meat-stuffed fishballs with a light tangy sauce

The fish comes with ladies fingers as well...yumyumyum!

Sambal-like Chilli sauce

A simple lunch for us...

The rest of the dishes are almost as good. The tofu is a must try – crisp on the outside and very soft on the inside, with a very nice sauce to boot. No other fried tofus I’ve tasted since had managed to take over its spot, I swear to God. All these at a reasonable price for a seafood restaurant, too. You’ve got to try it to believe it, so here on, I rest my case! :D

The very yummilicious fried tofu

Sweet potato leaves...

Lala in wine sauce & ginger

Address: 103, Kampung Arab, 71000 Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.
Tel: 06-6474271

For more information on Port Dickson, click here.

Scratch, scratch - absolutely Poppylicious!

2009-03-03T20:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, we responded to an itch that had gone unscratched for too long last Saturday, reaffirming the fact that girls just wanna have fun, whatever their age, profession or creed! After all, what’s a wedding-cum-reunion dinner without the after party? I have to say that being with these girls reminded me so much of my uni-days when life was so much simpler and more carefree – when all we had to worry about was to maintain our grades, our social circle and our ever growing wardrobe as well as keep up with the glitzy and wacky world of clubbing and partying. Almost 8 years have rolled on since then at rollercoaster speed! And look at us now... *sigh*

We had wanted to head to Zouk or Velvet after the dinner initially, not because of anything else other than it being extremely convenient. The clubs were just located opposite Menara Dredging where the dinner was held. Unfortunately, the queue and the amount of people at the entrance itself was madness – more packed than a sardine can. Tsk, tsk, tsk. You’d wonder if a recession was indeed in effect.

So we finally decided to walk to Poppy, another club which was around the vicinity…in our three inch killer heels too! A wonder that nobody’s feet gave way – perhaps the adrenaline rush of having a wild girl’s night out alleviated the pain somehow. Here as well, there were too many clubbers for comfort. If it were not so hot and balmy, I would have enjoyed the R&B music quite a fair bit, since that’s my favorite clubbing music genre. The heat was pretty overwhelming I tell you – not so nice to shake your booty when sweat was gushing from your armpits like a waterfall and you have a moustache made out of beads of water above your lips 95 % of the time. Worse, we couldn’t even get a table and had to hang around the bar!

Still, we make the best of our circumstances as we always do…so there you go, another funtastic wild night out, rocking KL so hard it shook! *giggles*

May & I at Poppy upon arrival

Hmh..another shot of May & I before our dual personalities took over!

Hardcore clubbers - Christine and Ai Lee...okay, maybe not! Haha...

A better pic of us.

Me with Daniel... oh, I think his name was Adrian before my second personality emerged!

Hey-hey, a group shot, with some heads missing...

Another pic, with poor Rianne, trying to lift her head up high enough to be in the pic, but still failing!

A round of applause for our bodyguard of the night! :P

Display of booze at the airconditioned area... finally, somewhere cooling!

Aaaa-wooooooooo - hot chick gettin' it on with a pillar!

My turn...what?? We were very short of poles that night!

Just like it for someone to spoil the pic!!

Camwhoring...I figured one should map our progression in life...at least ten years from now we can look back and see how wild and crazy we were, no?

Peace, y'all!

Blowing kisses to the wind...wonder who caught them...

I look very out-of-bed...

Rianne & I were attacking Christine's beehive ahahha...

...got a real big heart but you're looking at her *BEEEEEEEP*!...

The effect of too much alco .... okay, you can stop killing each other now...

Our very own strippa in the house!

Dirty dancing on the cushioned seat heheh

Yikes I think I ruined her momentum by tipping haha..

Woohoo! Malaysia BOLEH!!

Okay...that's enough moolah to pay for the parking hahaha...

Top Five 'Initiation' Pranks during a Chinese Wedding

2009-03-02T21:09:00.000-08:00

The Chinese are quite a creative bunch one would have to agree – their lives are governed by an overload of rites and traditions handed over to the next generation by the one before and so forth. Over time, some of these rites have evolved – well, kind of anyway. I got to thinking about the rites that we practice on the day of the wedding itself after attending such an event last Saturday. It has got to be one of the most entertaining and unforgettable moments in any Chinese wedding without a doubt, for the couple as well as their guests.

Upon our arrival to the bride's home

May & I with the bride

Bridesmaids...?

Our Kodak Moment

The gorgeous dinner dress

The girls chilling out while waiting for the groom and his entourage to arrive.

There’s a name for the rite mentioned – Chip San Leong (in Cantonese) or translated into simple English, Fetch-the-Bride. It means just literally that – the groom and his entourage will make their ways to the bride’s home, making a lot of noise as they arrive to ward off evil or bad luck. Usually they do this by honking (since nobody in their right minds would use gongs or old Chinese instruments anymore) when they’re around the vicinity – this also serves to alert the bride’s entourage of their arrival. In tradition, it symbolizes that the groom is taking the bride out of her home and accepting her into his. Usually, the groom’s entourage would present ‘gifts’ to the bride’s family – like a suckling pig or in ancient times, life chickens, etc – how funny is that really. This rite includes the tea ceremony, whereby the couple would invite all the older relatives to have a cup of tea as a mark of respect. In return, they would be given red packets or jewelry as a blessing for their future. Also, the couple would give out red packets to the younger ones in the family.

The men bringing in the 'gifts'

The very poor roasted pig presented to the bride's family

Prayers

Car Deco

But that’s not the fun part. Let’s jump right on the good leg and do the bad thing, so to speak – one of the most awaited moments of the day would have to be what I call the ‘initiation’, the part whereby the bridesmaids pose blockages to the groom’s entourage before they are able to reach the bride and escort her out of her home – some sort like an obstacle race for the groom to reach his booty. I’m not sure how this ‘rite’ came about, but it is pretty reasonable, come to think of it. As people liked to say, easy come, easy go. So the harder it is to take the bride out of the house, the better the prospects for the couple. But that’s only my interpretation haha.

So here are the top five ‘initiation’ pranks I’ve seen carried out during the weddings that I’ve attended thus far:

1. The groom’s entourage has to sing for the bride and bridesmaids. Any song would usually do – preferably something romantic to ‘seal the deal’.

They've come prepared with a song! Good on them!

2. A few representatives from the groom’s entourage have to eat something quite so unpleasant. I’ve seen concoctions of fruit juices/ pulps mixed with alcohol of some sort and wasabi even. Some even include cili padi into their witch’s brew. The down side is that there is a possibility of the concoction bringing more harm than it should and the whole groom’s entourage would end up stuck in the loo all day or worse!

3. The bridesmaids will concoct a series of very private questions about the bride that the groom has to answer correctly, or be punished. A way for everyone present to get to know the couple better, I would think.

4. The groom has to pick out his bride’s lipstick mark from a collection of marks (made by the bridesmaids of course), otherwise be subjected to some sort of punishment.

Which belongs to the bride? Perhaps none at all haha!

5. The groom and his entourage have to run around the neighborhood, loudly professing his love for his bride and telling one and all why he loves her and is marrying her.

So, what kinds of punishment then you may ask? From the wedding that day, these were meted out…warning – very side-splittingly hilarious images ahead!

- Passing a boiled egg from one man to another – using only the mouth. Hmh, what a way to cultivate male bonding really. *guffaws*

Very masculine smoochies!

- Pumping – with another male below the ‘pumper’. I almost died laughing over this, I swear to God.

The 69 pumping position

Another shot...

Hmmhh...missionary? Hahaha...

These guys are very great sports!

"Whooaaa...my hands are not strong enough! I'm going to crush you!"

Most of the time, to end the ‘negotiation’ between the bridesmaids and the groom’s entourage, some sort of ‘bribe’ would be given to the bridesmaids in the form of red packets. Money speaks louder than anything else at the end of the day I suppose. And so, the groom successfully makes his way to ‘fetch’ his bride at last, passing the ‘initiation’ stage. *Applause*

In negotiation - tough luck for the guys!

The bridesmaids checking on whether the red packet was genuine before letting the groom and his entourage through to the bride...

The groom was finally able to 'fetch' his bride

Bridesmaids counting their dough after a tough day's work!

Our loot after a successful negotiation haha

Me with my ex-uni mates during the day ceremony

Group shot 1

Group Shot 2

Group Shot 3

Group Shot 4

And finally, the day ended with a hefty feast of course with lots of merry-making! :D

Girls at Taithong, Wisma Dredging, KL

One for the memory

Ten top pranks for a hen night party - or so we think...

2009-02-27T03:53:00.000-08:00

Just very recently, I attended an ex-university mate's hen night party, and boy, it was quite an experience I must say. What a wonder - how did this erm...celebration come about? I suppose we females did not want to be left out in the race of the sexes. The men had their secretive 'last night for debauchery before retiring from bachelorhood' parties ever since time began, leaving their counterparts teetering at home, wondering what utterly promiscuous deeds the boys had up their sleeves before they surrendered their 'single' title forever.

If the suppressed females from days bygone shed a tear or two in between bouts of jealousy, the new-age women (yeeha baby!!) had other ways of dealing with it. What was it they said again...if you can't beat them to it, join them, and I suppose that is how a bachelorette party or a hen night came about.

So here's an account of what happened that night. A few of us arrived early to brainstorm and come up with a list of "To-do's" for the bride-to-be. This of course involved at least one adult toy, some 18SX details and images, so for the prim Mr and Misses, you have been adequately warned...proceed with caution this spot on haha.

The Organizing Committee

Presenting the adorable happy-feet Mr Jumping Pecker, the star of the night! Haha..

The radiant bride-to-be arrives and waves ala Paris Hilton

A shot before dinner began, while everyone could still stand still without swooning or slanting like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, or laughing too loudly :P

Here's the top ten (half-baked) pranks on our list (actually I concocted the bottom part of it since the original list had only a few numbers - the idea of a wild sexy night probably has not caught on much in Malaysia - not in public places at least)
*Eunice Tan will not be held liable for anything untoward arising from this list!!!

Costumes!! What's a hen night without the sexy scandalous costumes? LoL. Our cute little hen had a tiara, a sash, and a French maid apron. So uber cool! We made her wear all those and parade them at every corner of a public restaurant/ pub. Actually our venue of choice was this hip place called Souled Out in Hartamas - the hangout of many cool and sporting people, which is essential to the success of a hen nite no doubt!)

2. Give a condom to a random male and say in the sexiest voice, "You're hot. You need one tonight." (Let's hope nobody gets into trouble here)

3. Approach a random male and get one part of the body autographed. (Which part depends on how open minded the bride-to-be is of course)

The Hen going around looking to be inked!

And there, she got it! Way to go, Jia!

4. Pinch a random male's butt, wink and say "Ooo, tough meat!"

...and she did this like a pro! Haha...

5. Put a French cap on a banana (we improvised here and used a wine bottle instead) using only the mouth. (This soooo wasn't my idea!! Anyway, I didn't think a pre-wedding lesson would be necessary for this age and time and it could get pretty icky.)

This was utterly hilarious...almost split the side of my tummy cause I was laughing so hard!

Poor Mr Jumping Pecker is not so happy now

6. Get the phone numbers of three random males. (Perhaps a boost for the ego one last time before all the flirts and coquettish glances becomes a definite no-no)

7. Phone mom to say that the wedding is off (Hmh, a dangerous one to carry out - even our own bride-to-be refused on this one and opted for another. Smart alec, the wedding would probably BE off if Mommy throws a fit)

8. Sexy dance with a girl. Or better yet, pole dance. (Okay, maybe not. I have some friends who does pole dancing for a hobby hahahha)

9. Errr...hire a hunk? Hmh, I've only seen this in movies...and this seems pretty out-of-whack in Malaysia so...perhaps not. :P

10. Play truth-or-drink. Time to dig out the dirty past before she leaves them all behind forever more!

And so, after a lot of laughing and jabbing and snickering, the list was up at last! Since most of us have not seen each other for a few hundred years and ninety nine days at least, we took this time to catch up on what's been happening in our lives - which I believe is one of the main aims of a hen night to begin with - female bonding. The free flow of wine helped too, in a very short while, most of us were willing to share almost any dirty secrets or spill another's, not like there were plenty of those though...and even if there were, I'm so not telling haha.

The crowd was sporting enough when it came to the games - they were so cool and friendly. And so was the hen of the night, she rawkkss. Undoubtedly one of the most carefree, fun and wild nights I've had for a long time now. We even gatecrashed a private birthday party along the way, and made a couple of new friends.

Random Male #X getting camera shy, but not before my quick action! Captured - you're on Candid Camera! Haha...but aren't they such good sports?

No sooner the restaurant became too mild for us, and we adjourned to a club nearby with this intention - the cheesier the better - what? We had to get down and cheesy one last time with the hen before she got hitched! *guffaws*

Girls getting cheesy

The Supper Club in Hartamas - a stone's throw away from Souled Out in fact, fits this description perfectly, with sexy females dancing on the bartop, great R&B music and to top it all up, a great Big Boss who did not mind opening a bottle of Vodka for us on the house just because one of our friends was ditching her bachelorhood.

The Oooooohhppptthhhh Factor

Our Vodka on the house, how cool's that? :D

A Flaming for her...woohoo!

Jia with her...erm...bucks...hahaha

Candy Girl getting just a wee bit tipsy

What a great way to end the night, with a bag full of beautiful memories! And it goes without saying, CONGRATS, Jia! Hope you find your perfect wedded bliss and happiness for the rest of your days with your loved one. Remember to make many babies to populate our country further haha...

25 (peculiar) things you probably did not know about me

2009-02-19T03:02:00.000-08:00

There you go, here’s my very ‘into-myself’ post at last, after brooding for long on whether I should or should not succumb to this chain letter, which was spreading like wildfire across Facebook. That’s after being tagged three times by my friends, so *drum rolls*, here goes nothing – 25 things you probably did not know about me! Quite a brilliant way to kick off my new blog after a very long hiatus from the blogging scene, don’t you think? *guffaws* That’s like killing two birds with one stone – fulfilling the chain letter and launching this site, since this blog is after all about me, my life, my rants and raves! Three cheers to that!

1. Mom calls me a science robot with an artistic side. I’ve a degree in Biotechnology and I handle chemicals/ raw ingredients for personal care, perfumery, skin care, household, spa, and even F&B. Struggling with formulations for creams and lotions and shampoos and what not, as well as dealing with off-spec materials (and sometimes off-spec clients!!) and doing scientific presentations are part of my daily job.

2. I’m a published author – I write fiction and non-fiction. My past projects were such as general reads, science books, school books, stories for children/ teens, and articles for magazines. Been asked a few times to do travel logs, but haven’t got the time to compile until now that I have just started my own blogs. Am currently working on ghost stories as well – how ironic because I’m scared to death of ghosts/ encounters of the erm…third kind? I hope to face my own demons by doing so.

3. I’m a qualified piano teacher…or rather I was, I think my certs are obsolete now. I can’t live without music – I love all kinds, from classical to oldies to pop to rock to alternative music, etc. I think life without music would be so silent, meaningless and parched. I compose short tunes on the piano as a past time, sometimes songs with lyrics. I think if I could sing, I’d be a song writer haha…perhaps in my next life! Oh, and I have a fetish for music boxes. My collection is getting larger all the time.

4. I used to be in the state swim team and was a long distance/ cross-country runner. I took part in the swimming event in Triathlon before though people hardly believe me because of my size right now.

5. I’m claustrophobic and afraid of small, cramped spaces, eg, the back of a sports car. I hate being confined and can get quite nauseated by it. I prefer being in wide open spaces. Thus, I love being outdoors – on mountains, at sea or on field is okay by me. The more fresh air and sunshine, the better.

6. I’m terrified of heights – I think roller coasters, bungee jumping or sky diving would be the death of me yet!

7. I’m a perfectionist. I am very harsh and unforgiving with myself and I don’t take failures very easily. I analyze my mistakes very closely and mentally punish myself enough so I don’t make the same ones ever again. Unfortunately, I tend to take on the same approach with the people who are close to me. I hope to tone down in the future and wish that instead of breaking them, I’d be able to make them.

8. I am very ambitious and hungry for success. I’ve planned my resume out from when I was in high school. I knew exactly how I wanted it to look like and how it would make my prospects better when facing potential employers. I had a very clear picture of what my career path would be like ever since I was an adolescent. I’ve my immediate goals, 5-year goals, 10-year goals and even retirement goals figured out. So far, so good!

9. I am very easily misunderstood, especially at first sight. People who do not know me usually think that they do, for some reason or another, maybe because I just look like ‘the type’. More often than not, they are wrong. I’m not stereotypical. In fact, I’d not say my life has been very normal, but I’m making the best out of it.

10. I have a very moody, melancholic and temperamental side (traits of a Virgo!) and I can be very to-your-face and confrontational – perhaps due to my stressful life in the fast lane and my current circumstances, but that’s probably just an excuse. Perhaps I’m just direct and blunt. I keep a rubber ball in my car, a tool for anger management haha. Or sometimes I just go home and scream into my pillows.

11. I can be my own alter ego. At times I’m very sociable, but on others I can be very quiet and private. I especially do not like to share my problems – I think everyone has a fair share of burden on their shoulders; they do not need another load. Rather, I’d like to brood on my own until I find my perspective upon retrospection. I can take advice/ suggestions/ thoughts from other people, but I make it a point never to be too influenced or too bothered by everything that they tell me. Some people call me stubborn but I’d like to think my inner voice speaks the loudest especially when I’m making a big decision. In other words, I have a mind of my own. After all, nobody can take charge of your life but you.

12. I think I’m very hardy and tough. There may be times when I find myself facing obstacles in any aspects in life that I feel I couldn’t possibly surpass. I may lose my direction for a while, pull out some chunks of hair, cry a little, cry a lot, fuss, complain, scream, go absolutely out of my mind, get hopelessly drunk, get unbelievably upset, beat myself out because of it, but after all is said and done, problems are there to be solved and that is not going to happen by sweeping them under the carpet. I’m the type who can bend all the way backwards for something I believe in. At least, if it didn’t go my way in the end, I’ve tried my best.

13. On the contrary, I can be very fragile and easily hurt. Words matter more than they should to me, I take them very seriously, even those spoken in spats of anger.

14. I don’t really like gossips, especially of the bitchy kind. I think people should mind their own businesses and respect another person’s right to be who they want to be or who they are.

15. I like heart-to-heart talks though. I always try to be neutral and not pass on judgments about other’s woes. The fact is you may never know enough about a person’s problem or what he or she really feels to judge at all, however close you are to that person. And more often than not, people just want someone to listen and not judge.

16. I work much better under pressure. Even though I fuss and cuss over all the itty bitty details, I can handle stress quite well but at my own time. I like testing my limits and pushing myself to the edge. I believe if you’re just playing it safe and staying away from the ledge, you’d miss out on the great view that can only be seen from that point.

17. I love new ambiences, new places, and new experiences. I think you only have one life to experience anything and everything. You wouldn’t want to wake up one day wondering why you haven’t done that or been there and you can no longer!

18. I love traveling and visiting new countries, learning about different cultures and histories. It enriches my life. Wish to visit the US, Imperial States in Europe in the next couple of years.

19. I can be very messy. I call it my organized mess, nobody else can find the things I want to find in this organized mess but me. I’d like to reason with you that I do not have much time to do much of house/ car cleaning but I suppose that again is just another excuse.

20. Someone once called me a rubbish collector (this someone still does!! *Gggrrrr*). I collect boxes, plastic bags, paper bags, gift bags, paper wrappers, receipts, bills, coupons…just in case I should need it somewhere down the road.

21. I’m a sentimentalist. Little bits of memories mean hell of a lot to me. I hold them very closely to my heart and guard them fiercely. Thus, I’ve a big collection of old cards, old gifts, champagne bottles collected from memorable occasions, rose petals between books, old photographs, stars in jars, old toys, etc.

22. I am very punctual or I try my best to be. Three cheers for everyone out there who respects others’ time!

23. I hate the biting cold – I think it’s definitely the worst way to die…to freeze slowly but surely to a horrifying death!

24. I’m naturally a worrier – I think I was born with the trait! I have to have a few backup plans in case THE PLAN should fail. I think of many ways for many sleepless nights to cushion myself if something should go wrong. People used to bring one or two pencils to the exam hall but I’d bring seven or eight without fail. What? They may all break!! *giggles*

25. I love to eat! I eat more than an average male in fact. I once ate four pieces of roti canai to the horror of my male cohorts. I can be quite particular over my food at times though – I haven’t acquired the taste for raw food and innards, I doubt I ever will.

-THE END- (And you survived…*applause*)